Convertible electrical stringed musical instrument



July 24, 1951 LE 2,551,551

CONVERTIBLE ELECTRICAL STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed May 16, 1949 O a O O 2 J JNVENTOR.

FREDERICK .1 ALLEN AGENT Patented July 24, 1951 CONVERTIBLE ELECTRICAL STRINGED' MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Frederick J. Allen, San. Diego, Calif.

ApplicationMay 16, 1949, Serial No. 93,466

Claims.

My invention relates to a convertible electrical,

stringed musical instrument, and the objects of my invention are:

' First, to provide a musical instrument of this class which may be readily converted. from one typeto another, employing the same electrical pickup and amplifier, whereby considerable. cost.

of a plurality of distinct instruments may be eliminated;

Second, to provide a convertible electrical stringed musical instrument which is adaptable to.

guitars or the like, whereby a Hawaiian guitar may be readily converted to a steel guitar, while employing a common electrical pickup and amplifier;

Third, to provide a convertible electrical. stringed musical instrument of. this class which may be'converted from one distinct instrument to' another without changing the tuning of the distinct instruments;

Fourth, to provide a convertible electrical stringed musical instrument of this class having a. body and a plurality of individual detachable neck and tail piece members, which are. arranged as different musical instruments;

Fifth, to provide a musical instrument of this class in which a very small amount of time. is consumed in changing the combination neck and tail piece from one instrument to the other, so that the body of the instrument in connection with which the combinationneck and tail pieces are exchanged may be maintained in position for playing, and the electrical pickup in connection with the body may be retained in electrical connection with a conventional amplifier, providing for'the quick change of one instrument to the other between the rendition of difierent musical compositions;

Sixth, to provide a convertible electrical stringed musical instrument of this class in which the combination neck and tail piece, arranged in removable connected-relationship to the body of the instrument, is provided with apickup receiving opening therein, which permits the pickup connected to. the body to be disposed in close proximity to the strings on the combination neck and tail piece for clear pickup and reception; and

Seventh, to provide a convertible electrical stringed musical instrument of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, efficient in operation, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in View, as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination andlarrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail. and particularly. set forth in the appended claims, reference being, had to the accompanying drawings and to thecharacters of reference thereon, forming a part.

of this application, in which:

Fig; 1 is a top or plan view of the assembly of my'convertible electrical stringed musical instrument; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional viewtaken from the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the combination neck and-tail pieceof my convertible electrical stringed musical instrument, arranged to be played as a Spanish guitar.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several viewsof the drawing.

The body I, combination neck and'tail piece 2,,

clamp plate 3, clamp screw 4, electrical pickup 5, volume control 6 and the plug 1' constitute the principal parts and portions of my convertible.

electrical stringed musical instrument.

It will be here noted that the combination neck and-tail piece 2, as shown in Fig. l of the drawing, is not provided with any frets, and is arranged to be played as a steel guitar, while the combinationneck and tail piece 2 as shown in Fig. 3, is.

provided with conventional frets and is arranged to beplayed as a Spanish guitar.

The bod I may be made of any suitable mate rial, as desired, such as wood, plastic, or any other-material having sufiicient strength to properl'y support the combination neck and tail piece 2; Thisbody I is provided with a longitudinal recess la therein, which is substantially U-shaped in cross section, andprovided with an upwardly projectedportion lb, on which the electrical pick-- up 5 is supported. This electrical pickup 5 is.

winding keys 2b thereon, while the opposite end ofthe combination neck and tail piece is provided-with a tail piece 20, to which the opposite ends of the strings are anchored. The combina tion neck and tail piece 2, forwardly of the tail piece 20, is provided with an opening 2d therein, which is arranged to fit over the upwardly extending projection lb in the channel-shaped recess la of the body I, all as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the opening 2d surrounds the projection lb of the body I, while the pickup is in close proximity to the strings 26 of the combination neck and tail piece 2, so that the pickup 5 efiiciently receives the vibrations of the strings 2c.

The clamp plate 3 is pivoted on the clamp screw 4, which is screw-threaded in the body I, and when in the position as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, extends over the upper surface of the combination neck and tail piece 2 for holding the same securely in the channel-shaped in crosssection recess Id of the body I.

The operation of my convertible electrical stringed musical instrument is substantially as follows:

When played as a steel guitar, employing the combination neck and tail piece 2 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the pickup 5 and amplifier in connection therewith, which is not shown in the drawing and which is no part of my present invention, the musician may render the instrumental efiect of a Hawaiian guitar. When the combination neck and tail piece, as shown in Fig. 1, is replaced by the combination neck and tail piece 2, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the musician may render the instrumental effects which may be accomplished by a Spanish guitar.

When it is desired to exchange the combination neck and tail pieces as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the clamp screw 4 is loosened in a counter-clockwise direction and the clamp plate 3 is pivoted thereon in a counter-clockwise direction, which removes the same from interfering relationship with the upper surface of the combination neck and tail piece 2, permitting the same to be removed from the channel-shaped in cross-section recess la. in the body I. The Spanish guitar neck and tail piece 2, as shown in Fig. 3, may then be positioned in the channelshaped recess la, and the plate 3 may be pivoted thereover, so that tightening of the clamp screw 4 firml fixes the combination neck and tail piece 2 in the body I. Thus, the pickup 5 and connected equipment, which is the most expensive portion of electrical stringed instruments, may be used with a variety of combination neck and tail pieces 2, in order to provide the instrumental effects of various musical instruments.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is:

1. In a convertible electrical stringed musical instrument, a combination unitary neck and tail piece having string-winding keys on one end, strings intermediate said keys and said tail piece, and a tail piece on the opposite end, said neck and tail piece provided with a recess therein directly below said strings thereon, and an electrical pickup positioned in said recess and readily removable from the lower side of said neck and tail piece.

2. In a convertible electrical stringed musical instrument, a combination neck and tail piece having strings thereon, said combination neck and tail piece having an opening therein communicating with the said strings at the lower side thereof, and an electrical pickup removably connected with said combination neck and tail piece, and positioned in said opening adjacent said strings, a body for said combination neck and tail piece, supporting said electrical pickup and having a channel-shaped recess in which said combination neck and tail piece is removably positioned.

3. In a convertible electrical stringed musical instrument, a combination neck and tail piece having strings thereon, said combination neck and tail piece having an opening therein communicating with the said strings at the lower side thereof, and an electrical pickup removably connected with said combination neck and tail piece, and positioned in said opening adjacent said strings, a body for said combination neck and tail piece, supporting said electrical pickup and having a channel-shaped recess in which said combination neck and tail piece is removably positioned, clamping mean on said body for holding said combination neck and tail piece in connection therewith.

4. In a convertible electrical stringed musical instrument, a combination neck and tail piece having strings thereon, said combination neck and tail piece having an opening therein communicating with the said strings at the lower side thereof, and an electrical pickup removably connected with said combination neck and tail piece and positioned in said opening adjacent said strings, a body for said combination neck and tail piece, supporting said electrical pickup and having a channel-shaped recess in which said combination neck and tail piece is removably positioned, clamping means on said body for holding said combination neck and tail piece in connection therewith, a volume control electrically connected with said electrical pickup and supported on said body.

5. In a convertible electrical stringed musical instrument, a body, an electrical pickup on said body and a combination neck and tail piece removably connected to said body, having strings thereon adjacent said electrical pickup, said body having a channel-shaped recess therein and a projection extending into said recess on which said electrical pickup is mounted, said combination neck and tail piece having an opening therein fitted over said projection and said electrical pickup, whereby said electrical pickup is in close proximity to the lower side of the strings on said combination neck and tail piece.

FREDERICK J. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,087,106 Hart July 13, 1937 2,113,446 Gugino Apr. 5, 1938 2,455,575 Fender et a1 Dec. 7, 1948 

